Vehicle radiators are typically sandwiched between an upper and lower vehicle frame member by a pair of resilient mounts. The resilient mounts allow the radiator to behave as a tuned mass, insulated from road shocks. Typically, the resilient mounts at both the top and bottom edge of the radiator consist of a spaced pair of rubber grommets or "donuts" that surround vertical pins fixed to the radiator, generally comprising part of the tanks. When the radiator is installed, the bottom mounts can simply be set down into matching slots in the lower frame member, retained by interference fit and the weight of the radiator alone, with no external fastener needed. The upper mount requires a bracket and external fastener, however. Other resilient mounts are more complex, consisting of block members molded with slots and flexible fins to accommodate vibrations. These, too, require brackets and external fasteners.
Such known radiator fastening systems present no particular installation problems when the vehicle is assembled by older methods, that is, when the lower and upper vehicle frame members are already set in their final positions and easily accessible. A newer assembly technique involves a lower subframe or chassis module that initially sits near the factory floor, while the rest of the vehicle body is suspended directly above. The subframe provides easy worker access for the installation of many components, such as the power train and brake. The radiator lower edge may be conveniently installed to the subframe as well. Then, the entire module is lifted upwardly and joined to the rest of the vehicle body. In this orientation, access to the brackets and fasteners of typical upper radiator mounts is difficult and awkward.